A wide variety of computerized wagering game machines (a.k.a. gaming machines) are now available to casino operators and players. Computerized wagering game machines range from slot machines to games that are traditionally played live, such as poker, blackjack, roulette, etc. These computerized gaming machines provide many benefits to game owners and players, including increased reliability over mechanical machines, greater game variety, improved sound and animation, and lower overall management cost.
Wagering game machines typically include power supplies that provide power to their central processing units (CPU) and peripheral devices. For example, a wagering game machine's bill validator typically processes currency and performs other operations using power from the wagering game machine's internal power supply. Typically, if the wagering game machine's internal power supply is not plugged into a wall socket, the CPU and peripheral devices will not have power needed for performing gaming machine operations. If the CPU is not running, most peripheral devices are not needed. However, some peripheral devices may be needed even when the gaming machine's internal power supply cannot provide power to the CPU and other peripheral devices.